The Town of Midland and SSEA are all about the Buzz!

This June, the buzz is about the bees, butterflies, bugs, and birds pollinating plants and what we can do to help protect them.

To recognize the important services provided by pollinators, the Severn Sound Environmental Association (SSEA) and the Town of Midland are bringing awareness to National Pollinator Week, happening June 21-27.

To kick-off Pollinator Week, Mayor Stewart Strathearn has proclaimed the Town’s support for this important celebration, and Midland staff designed and built a display at Highway 93 and 12 to commemorate this! “The Town of Midland is proud to celebrate our first Pollinator Week as an official Bee City,” said Mayor Stewart Strathearn. “We have established “no-mow” zones throughout the town where mowing will no longer take place to provide suitable areas for pollinator habitat to be created, and I encourage all residents to get involved and learn more about what we can all do to help ensure pollinator populations thrive in our region.”

Pollinator populations have been declining at an alarming rate due to habitat loss, misuse of pesticides, and climate change There are nearly 1,000 different pollinators in Canada alone, and not only do pollinators provide us with the food we eat but they also help sustain our ecosystems by helping our native plants reproduce. In turn, these healthy ecosystems can absorb greenhouse gases, prevent soil erosion, protect water quality, and offer habitat for many important plants and animals.

The Town has made a commitment to helping and supporting pollinators as a designated Bee City municipality and within Midland’s Municipal Climate Change Action Plan. As a Bee City, Midland is taking on-the-ground action, including piloting a strategic mowing project, planting new pollinator habitat, and working with SSEA to plant native trees and combat invasive species. Visit Town staff at the Midland Summer Market, 526 Bay Street, Midland on Sunday, June 27 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. to pick up free wildflower seeds and learn more about how you can protect pollinators.

Here are some simple things everyone can do in their backyard to help bees, butterflies, and other pollinators:
1. Plant native flowers or trees. Our native pollinators have evolved alongside our native plants, so they are better matched as food sources for them than cultivated or non-native species of plants.
2. Pledge to not use chemicals in your garden. Rather than chemical herbicides, planting mint, thyme and marigolds attract beneficial insects that will prey on typical garden pests.
3. Education is the best tool in a gardener’s pocket! Check out Pollinator Partnership Canada’s website at www.pollinatorpartnership.ca and follow SSEA’s Sustainability and Climate Action Project Team on social media for more tips to be ‘bee-friendly’!
4. Read more about Bee City Canada or take the ‘Pollinator Pledge’. Visit www.beecitycanada.org.

Follow the SSEA’s Sustainability and Climate Action Project Team on Facebook: @sustainablesevernsound or Twitter: @sustainsevsound, or learn more about the programs led by Team SSEA at @ssea_ssrap and Instagram @severnsoundea.

Full details on the Town of Midland’s Bee City initiative, including maps identifying “no-mow” zones in the municipality, can found at: Midland.ca/Midland-is-a-Bee-City.

Learn how you can get involved in Pollinator Week, visit: https://pollinatorpartnership.ca/en/pollinator-week-canada

To find out more about the Bee City Canada Program, and to access pollinator information and resources, visit: https://beecitycanada.org/